Neeraj Chopra not ‘injured’ but medal isn’t certain at Paris Olympics, says coach Klaus Bartonietz

Every Indian can breathe a sigh of relief. Neeraj Chopra’s coach, Dr. Klaus Bartonietz, has confirmed that the javelin star is fit and ready for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics. Defending his gold medal, there are high hopes for the 26-year-old. These expectations had taken a dash when Neeraj announced that he’d miss the Ostrava Golden Spike due to an abductor injury.

Injury ‘not’ an issue for Neeraj Chopra

His coach, who’s getting Neeraj ready for the Olympics in Antalya, has confirmed that the 26-year-old is training at high intensity and there is nothing to worry about. The coach, who’s been with him for the past five years, added that Neeraj pulled out of Ostrava as a precautionary measure as he felt something in his inner thigh.

“Everything is according to plan. At the moment, no issue with that (injury; it’s fine; it looks good. I’m hoping to remain like that till the Olympics. It’s just over two weeks left in the Olympics, so the intensity of training is high. He is having full throwing sessions,” Klaus told PTI.

Medal not guaranteed

Knowing that Neeraj Chopra is under pressure to defend his Olympic gold, Klaus played down the expectations for his star pupil.

“Olympics is a high-stakes and high-pressure situation, and anything can happen. Guessing a medal on the basis of statistics is difficult. All the top throwers are training their best; they want to give their best in Paris and win a medal. Just like them, we can also claim that Neeraj can win. These claims can be biased and can bungle up also. An 88-meter may not be enough in the Olympics for a medal, but it can happen with an 85-meter also, you never know. It is like a game of poker, and on some days you can throw far if you have momentum,” Klaus added.

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Practice over competition

Neeraj has participated in just three events in 2024 and pulled out of multiple events, including the most recent competition, the Paris Diamond League. Will that affect his chances at the 2024 Olympics? Klaus says no. He pointed out that Jan Zelezny, who’s considered the greatest javelin thrower of all time, played just two events before clinching gold at the 1992 Games.

“You can compete in many events or not; it’s tough to say what is enough. It depends on the situation. Jan Zelezny says he does not compete in too many events. Competitions sometimes disrupt preparation, and you start all over again. Competing in high-class events can become risky also. Travelling too much with logistics, with javelins around the world, is also not good,” the coach concluded.